Disclaimer: The stuff on the show isn't mine, just the writing in this chapter.
Felicity was so damn right about the elevator in this place. All kinds of strange things happen in the elevator.
She would be totally amused by the look of sheer fear Roy was currently trying to wipe off his face. Would be is probably the key word here, she would be if not for the fact she wasn't in the middle of trying to calm her own nerves.
Moira Queen, in all her stately manner just walked into the elevator she's currently sharing with a suddenly and increasingly fidgety Roy.
Moira settles in behind them. "Level 5, please."
Moira Queen just spoke to her. Well she's assuming she was talking to her. Roy, who currently looks like he'd rather nothing more than to sink into the ground opposite her, meaning he isn't anywhere near the button panel. She points a finger at herself when shes caught the corner of his eyes, a silent "me?"Roy nods minutely. The aforementioned button panel currently bolted to the wall by Felicity's elbow.
She realises she's taking too long. Apparently rambling happens in her head to. She really isn't all that surprised.
Move, Felicity, push the button. That's it.
The button for 5 lights up, the doors close to end the awkward couple of moments all three of them stood there waiting for Felicity to press the button and the elevator begins its climb.
She could have sworn this thing moved faster before.
Roy's eyes jump from her to the panel and then as far to the side as they can to catch Moira in his peripheral vision. From where Felicity's standing, she isn't sure if he's breathing. Poor kid, she's getting off on three, he'll have to whether more of the nervous silence on his one for an entire floor till he reaches Thea on level 4.
Damn Moira looked graceful when she was rushing, Felicity doesn't even really know why, she bets the elevator doors wouldn't even dare to close on her.
Felicity should've just pressed the close door button. It's intimidating just being in the small square space with this woman. But at the same time all Felicity wants to do is turn and stare at her, its weird. Moira's a magnetic presence, now she can understand why Oliver and Thea have such a pull. Roy's the testament, from the fear he feels to how can't stop himself from trying to watch her.
When the bell chimes like nothing is wrong in the world, Felicity is relieved to find the doors opening to her floor. Stepping off, even she can tell that she's rushing, nothing like the graceful strides Moira took. Roy slips through just as doors begin closing, and when the floor numbers begin to tick up, he lets out a breath. She lets out a huff of a relieved laugh at that and heads towards her door.
Only to find Roy following her.
"Roy, we've done this before. This is my apartment."
He sends her a blank stare "I know" before his face slightly drops to pleading "but there's no way I was staying on that elevator."
"You know you're dating her daughter... remember... Thea?"
"Yeah, but I haven't exactly met her family yet and I'm sure as hell not going to do it without Thea."
She rolls her eyes as they step into her apartment. "No one said anything about meeting the parents, normal people usually greet each other with a hello."
"You didn't say anything either." He said indignantly.
"I smiled."
"Did not."
"I thought I did, I swear I did." Felicity pauses, "Wait not even a tiny timid one."
Roy shook his head. "Hey can I use your phone?Mines busted and I gotta call Thea, she might need a warning since her mother's patrolling the corridors." He finishes with a shudder.
Felicity's steps to escort him turn into pointing him toward the home line when she hears knocking on the door.
"Seriously I just walked in, how does anyone even know that I'm home..."
She swings it open to a smiling Oliver.
"Because I saw you and Roy walking in, are we having a party?"
...
Oliver will swear to his mother later that, he din't see her in the lobby that morning he must have missed her by a couple of minutes.
He will be lying. He saw her.
He probably could have caught the elevator doors before they closed too, but no way was he getting in a box that small with such limited exit options. Don't get him wrong, he loves his mother. But she'd been breathing down his neck about Queen Consolidated reports and he didn't want to be lectured about responsibility after he'd been out all night carrying the whole city on his shoulders and arguing with his suppliers all day.
A small pause at the glass doors of the complex and quick decision to take the stairs put him on the third floor at the same time as the elevator doors closed after releasing a relieved looking Felicity and Roy into the hall. Through the glass panel of the stair door he watched as they both turned toward Felicity's apartment. He made a quick decision that he can't be entirely sure he was completely responsible for. Part of him reasoned that he was avoiding Moira and there may be a chance she got off on any of the upper floors, he should lay low and wait out till it was certain she'd gone home. Digg would laugh, The Hood scared of his own mother. Only part of him accepts this excuse, because the other part was already headed towards her, before he'd even made up his mind.
He followed them and the sounds of bickering, till he could hear their back and forth seeping through the bottom of her front door. The only thing that gave him pause was that he didn't really have anything to say. So he falls back on his most practiced facade. His smirk falls into place as he raises his arm to knock on her front door.
He can hear her muttering on the other side, before the door opens and he's greeted with a look that mingles surprise with confusion. He's on autopilot and feeds her a line that makes him want to smack himself.
"Oliver?"
...
What is Oliver Queen doing on her doorstep? She might be a little happy he's here, don't get her wrong. She's just confused as to the why.
"I saw you from the stairs..."
She said that out loud. She's freaking out silently now. Well at least that answers her question. He's smiling weird, like the actual smile doesn't quite fit his face. Oh he's still talking. Stop staring. Blink.
"...help you throw out Harper when he realises this is the wrong apartment, again."
She realises somethings off she peers at him and he's still smiling weird, "Really?"
She watches his face fall and his lips purse and then, "No. I'm hiding from my mother." He concedes, ducking his head and exhaling a chuckle. When he looks back up there's another smile on his face, more honest, kinder and perhaps a little more uncomfortable like he isn't used to it. But it fits him better.
She giggles and pushes the door wider, she steps to the side with her back to the door to hold it open she swings her arm to allow him into the hall.
She follows him through to the lounge, "we all know how that feels," she nods toward Roy who's just emerged from the kitchen.
"I called Thea..." He pauses when he sees Oliver. "You Queens are everywhere."
Oliver shrugs while Felicity laughs, she watches Roy as his eyes bounce from Oliver to her and she can tell he wants to say something.
"Should I order pizza for four then?" She raises an eyebrow knowingly.
Roy rubs the back of his neck and shuffles a little before he mumbles a yes, "when I called and told Thea that I was down here because her mother was in the building and I was avoiding her, she asked if she could hide here too. Well she didn't so much ask as much as tell me she'd be down in 10."
Oliver contributes to Roy's rush of words nodding, "That's usually Thea's way of asking politely."
Halfway to her kitchen Felicity remembers she doesn't actually know any places to call. So she breaks the guys away from their awkward silence and asks for their help. They go from 0-60 in the time it take for her to say, where's the best place to call. She spends the next 5 minutes listening to them argue over the best place to order pizza from, Nick's or Frankie's. They don't even notice that she's left to answer the door, to let Thea in.
They hear them from the hall and Thea rolls her eyes when she picks up what the conversation is about. Thea doesn't play any games, she pulls out her phone and calls that contact that's just labelled 'Pizza'. Felicity laughs. Thea picks the right pizza's for everyone by heart, Felicity's a little amazed considering Thea doesn't know which pizza she actually likes. Thea shrugs and tells her its a talent.
They eat in Felicity's lounge again. She has one more dining chair than last time. Which means she has two dining chairs. Thea still doesn't play if they're going to be hiding for her mother in Felicity's apartment more often she's going to need dining chairs.
A week later Thea makes sure pizza night becomes a regular thing with two chairs delivered to Felicity's door, one a fairer shade than the two Felicity already has and another made from a deep red wood. The note says:
Pizza? Friday?
Thea x
A/N: Long time no see. Sorry for the wait. We're not done yet though, there'll be more. As always, cheers for making it to the bottom.